Assessment of Wound Healing Potential of Simvastatin Emulgel in Rat Excision Wound Model

Background: Microorganisms can infect wounds and disrupt healing by causing inflammation and tissue injury. Objective: Simvastatin (SIM) is reported to have antibacterial activity; therefore, this research is designed to evaluate the efficacy of simvastatin emulgel in wound healing. Methods: The simvastatin emulgel was assessed for physical appearance, rheological behaviour, spreadability, pH, ex vivo drug release and in vivo activity. The wound-healing activity was assessed by percent wound contraction, hydroxyproline estimation and histopathological evidence in wound-induced albino rats. Results: The simvastatin emulgel exhibited viscosity and spreadability of 6875 +/- 531.21 mPa.s and 10.15 +/- 0.31 g.cm/sec, respectively. The simvastatin emulgel exhibited wound contraction in wound healing studies compared to the reference product (p < 0.05). This activity was statistically significant (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control. The hydroxyproline content supported the wound-healing promoting effect of simvastatin emulgel, and marked improvements in the skin histological architecture were seen in the histopathological study. Conclusion: The study manifested the promising potential of simvastatin emulgel in speeding the healing of rat wounds with epithelization. Therefore, the designed simvastatin emulgel can be used as an option for the conventional topical dosage form.